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Automation Integration · head to head

n8n vs Tilt

n8n logo

n8n

Automation Integration

The fair-code workflow automation tool

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Tilt logo

Tilt

Developer Tools

Local Kubernetes development loop that rebuilds and live-updates containers on save

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: n8n starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions; Tilt docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • They diverge on capability: n8n covers Workflow automation, Tilt covers Live update.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 31 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which n8n and Tilt actually diverge.

Attributes where n8n and Tilt differ
Attributen8nTilt
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
PlatformsWeb, Docker, Self-hostedLinux, macOS, Windows
CategoryAutomation IntegrationDeveloper Tools
Founded2019Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in n8n

  • Workflow automation
  • Visual editor
  • Conditional execution
  • Looping
  • Error handling
  • Scheduling
  • Webhooks
  • REST API

Only in Tilt

  • Live update
  • Tiltfile as code
  • Unified web UI
  • Selective rebuilds
  • Local and remote clusters
  • Resource dependencies
  • Extensions registry
  • Custom buttons and triggers

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

n8n

  • Building AI agents and workflow automation for technical teamsnot Tilt
  • Visual workflow design with capability to write custom JavaScript or Python codenot Tilt
  • Enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud optionsnot Tilt
  • Integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom API connectionsnot Tilt

Tilt

  • A team of ten or more engineers whose application is fifteen microservices on Kubernetes and who currently wait on CI to test a changenot n8n
  • An organisation onboarding new developers who want a single command that stands up the whole stack from a committed Tiltfilenot n8n
  • A platform team giving product engineers a consistent local environment against a shared remote development clusternot n8n
  • A codebase where one repository contains several services and rebuilding all of them on every edit is the main source of lost timenot n8n

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

n8n

  • Starter tier limited to 1 project and 5 concurrent executions
  • Starter and Pro tiers restricted to Cloud hosting only, not self-hosted
  • Business tier requires 6 months minimum commitment at €667/month
  • SSO/SAML/LDAP authentication requires Business or Enterprise tier
  • Dedicated support with SLA available only on Enterprise plan

Tilt

  • Docker acquired Tilt in 2022 and the team now splits its time across Compose and Docker Desktop, so feature velocity is modest and the product's long-term priority inside Docker is not guaranteed; treat it as a stable utility, not a growing platform.
  • The Tiltfile is Starlark, a Python dialect, so non-trivial setups become real programs that need reviewing and maintaining, and the person who wrote yours becomes a single point of failure.
  • Live update only works when the running container can accept synced files and restart the process; compiled languages, distroless images and read-only filesystems often force you back to a full image rebuild, which removes the main benefit.
  • It assumes Kubernetes. If your development target is plain Docker Compose or serverless functions, Tilt adds a cluster you did not need and a layer of abstraction with no payoff.
  • There is no commercial support contract, no SLA and no paid tier, so when a Kubernetes version upgrade breaks something you are dependent on GitHub issues and a Slack channel rather than a vendor you can escalate to.

Pricing, plan by plan

n8n

Free
  • CommunityFree
    • Free self-hosted version on GitHub
    • Open source
  • Starter$20/month
    • 2,500 workflow executions
    • 5 concurrent executions
    • 2,300 AI credits/month
  • Pro$50/month
    • 10,000 workflow executions
    • 20 concurrent executions
    • 13,700 AI credits/month
  • Business$667/month
    • 40,000 workflow executions
    • Self-hosted option
    • 6 shared projects

Tilt

Free
  • TiltFree
    • Apache 2.0 licensed
    • All features, no paid tier
    • Community support via the Kubernetes Slack #tilt channel

Which should you pick?

Choose n8n if

  • You need workflow automation.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Docker, Self-hosted.
  • You also want visual editor.
n8n review

Choose Tilt if

  • You need live update.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Linux, macOS, Windows.
  • You also want tiltfile as code.
Tilt review

Questions people ask

Is n8n or Tilt better?
Neither clearly leads. n8n starts at Free and Tilt at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, n8n or Tilt?
n8n starts at Free and Tilt at Free.
Does n8n or Tilt run on more platforms?
n8n runs on Web, Docker, Self-hosted. Tilt runs on Linux, macOS, Windows.
Can I use n8n for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is n8n best used for?
n8n is most often used for building ai agents and workflow automation for technical teams, visual workflow design with capability to write custom javascript or python code, enterprise deployments with self-hosted or cloud options, integrating 500+ pre-built applications with custom api connections. Of those, building ai agents and workflow automation for technical teams and visual workflow design with capability to write custom javascript or python code are not what Tilt is typically brought in for.
What can n8n do that Tilt cannot?
n8n covers Workflow automation, Visual editor, Conditional execution, Looping. Tilt covers Live update, Tiltfile as code, Unified web UI, Selective rebuilds.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

n8n: Is there a free version of n8n?

Yes, n8n Community Edition is free and open-source, available for self-hosting on GitHub with unlimited users and workflows.

Source
Tilt: Is Tilt free?

Yes, entirely. It is Apache 2.0 open source with no paid tier and no licence fee.

n8n: What is the difference between n8n plans?

Plans differ by monthly workflow executions (2,500 for Starter, 10,000 for Pro, 40,000 for Business), concurrent execution limits, AI credits, and shared project counts.

Source
Tilt: Who owns Tilt now?

Docker, which acquired it in May 2022. It remains open source and the repository is still actively maintained.

n8n: Does n8n offer annual billing discounts?

Yes, n8n offers 17% off when billing annually instead of monthly, and provides a Startup Plan at 50% off Business pricing for companies under 20 employees.

Source
Tilt: Do I need a remote cluster?

No. It works against a local cluster such as kind, minikube or Docker Desktop, and also against a shared remote development cluster if your services are too heavy to run locally.

Tilt: How is it different from Skaffold?

Both automate the build-deploy loop. Tilt puts more weight on the live-update path and a multi-service dashboard; Skaffold is more configuration-driven and closer to Google's tooling.

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